JJ McCarthy did not throw a single pass throughout the regular season last year because of his knee injury. But don’t let the blank stat sheet deceive you. With their No. 10 pick, Minnesota got more than just a quarterback. They got a future team leader who worked in the background. Behind the scenes, McCarthy was subtly building habits, trust, and respect, while Sam Darnold stunned the NFL with a 14-3 record.
But what’s surprising? Initially, McCarthy was unaware that he was hurt. The majority of NFL season-ending injuries happen quickly and brutally: a man collapses, grabs his leg, and is carried away in tears. McCarthy, though? It wasn’t until the following day that he felt anything. “The adrenaline was flowing so much throughout that 60 minutes… I really didn’t feel it until the next day, when my knee started to buckle going down the stairs,” he recalled. And those behind-the-scenes moments are becoming more visible now that 2025 is here, with Darnold leaving for Seattle and the QB1 throne up for grabs. Particularly, one moment that happened just 48 hours after McCarthy’s knee tear. And it involves a Vikings captain.
When questioned about the rookie quarterback’s mindset during his most trying time, Vikings defensive tackle and team captain Harrison Phillips didn’t hold back. “JJ gets hurt, does his meniscus in training camp, and they want him to, like, take a break and relax… But I think, let’s say he got hurt on a Sunday—by Wednesday, he’s calling me.” Calling to kick back and relax? Nope. “He says like, ‘What day of the week are you free so that we can meet… so you can like watch film with me and talk about defensive line with me.’”
Just 2 DAYS after tearing his meniscus last year, #Vikings QB JJ McCarthy asked Harrison Phillips what day of the week he’s free so they can meet and pick his brain on film and DL looks. This went on for the whole season while he rehabbed back from the injury.
: HurdattSports pic.twitter.com/GzFrMSkrsJ
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 8, 2025
Phillips asserts that this was not an isolated incident. It turned into a custom. JJ McCarthy spent the whole season questioning one of the team’s most admired veterans. About defensive fronts, alignments, and the inner workings of an NFL lineman while he recovered from a torn meniscus. “And so like throughout the whole season he’s asking me questions and we’re trying to meet up to try to sit and watch film while he’s a rookie going through the hardest time of his life injured in a new city and he wants to sit with one of his vets the captains and and watch defensive film so that he can understand what’s going through my mind in plays,” Phillips stated. “And I was like that’s a sign of someone who’s going to play football for a very long time.”
This was McCarthy’s method of earning his spot in the building, not just a demonstration of his commitment. He developed relationships and gained trust without using snaps to boost his résumé. Any veteran of the NFL will tell you that in Year 1, behavior is just as important as a stat line.
JJ McCarthy making strides: Vikings coach shares injury update
Despite McCarthy’s lack of starting experience, Kevin O’Connell made it clear that JJ is no longer the youngster recovering on the sidelines. “He’s bigger. He’s stronger. I can see it in his arm. I can see it in his movements,” O’Connell said on The Rich Eisen Show. “I can see just the ownership of playing quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He gained a lot from last year, albeit not how we drew it up. Now, can we just build and build and build and progress?”
JJ McCarthy is reportedly taking “plenty of snaps” with starting center Ryan Kelly, despite O’Connell not having named him the starter yet. The Vikings’ head coach particularly commended the young quarterback’s ability to bounce back from a devastating loss in Year 1. “[McCarthy] had to really laser his focus and center on getting healthy… He gained a lot from last year, albeit not how we drew it up.”
Even though he was unable to play during the rehab year, he still improved. With Brett Rypien and Sam Howell the only people left in the room after Sam Darnold’s departure, McCarthy is now walking towards QB1. He appears to concur. McCarthy reportedly informed coaches, “My knee is at 110%. I’m ready.” He doesn’t have the job yet. But when your rookie QB’s biggest highlight involves outworking veterans while his leg is in recovery mode, you might already have your guy.
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